May 17, 2025: The Indian Premier League 2025 is all set to resume on Saturday with an exciting match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The franchise is buzzing with energy, and so is star batter Virat Kohli, who was spotted practicing with the team on Friday.
In a video shared by the franchise on social media, Kohli can be seen playing some fantastic shots during the practice session. However, things weren’t entirely smooth for the star batter.
According to reports, Kohli was unhappy with the sound system playing the RCB team song at the venue, which led to some frustration. After a few crisp drives and pull shots, Kohli made it clear that the blaring music was bothering him. His request was soon heard, and the music was turned off, restoring the serene atmosphere of the practice pitch, with only the sound of the ball hitting the bat and ambient conversations filling the air.
“Nearly an hour and a half into RCB’s training session at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Friday, Virat Kohli joined the batting group for a hit. A couple of crisp straight drives and pull shots later, there was a brief break in play. He wasn’t happy. His arrival to the practice pitch, even in an empty stadium, coincided with the sound system blaring the RCB team song. He conveyed his annoyance to enough people around him to shut it down and restore silence,” Cricbuzz reported.
Kohli’s First Competitive Match Since Retirement
This match will mark Virat Kohli’s first competitive appearance since his shock announcement of retiring from Test cricket earlier this year. The cricketing world was left stunned when the former captain decided to call time on his Test career, despite his deep passion for the format. Kohli had previously retired from T20Is in June 2024 after India’s triumphant T20 World Cup win.
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Weather Concerns Ahead of the Big Match
While fans are eager to see Kohli back in action, weather may play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the game. According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms are expected to hit Bengaluru starting at 5 pm IST, with 58% chance of rain at the time of the match. The probability decreases to 51% by 6 pm but picks up again at 7 pm, the scheduled toss time, with a 71% chance of rain. The rain threat continues to loom, though it reduces to 69%, 49%, and 34% in the subsequent hours.
A washed-out match could have severe implications for Kolkata Knight Riders’ playoff hopes. With just 11 points and two matches remaining, a shared point would leave KKR with a maximum of 14 points, potentially falling short of the playoff qualification. KKR’s previous match against Punjab Kings was also abandoned due to rain.
For RCB, the situation is relatively more comfortable. Even if the match is abandoned, they remain in a solid position to qualify for the playoffs and are in contention for a top-two finish, which would give them a more favorable spot in the tournament.